


Laughter Is Our Best Medicine

by indiego1314



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: F/M, Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location, POV First Person, Reader-Insert, attempted self-harm, depressed reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:06:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiego1314/pseuds/indiego1314
Summary: S-so-someone knows you're feeling-ing down, and wa-a-ants to cheer you up!Baby's first fanfiction, so be nice, dammit.





	1. Chapter 1

The clanking of the elevator did little to interrupt my thoughts as I descended into Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental. Not even the HandUnit’s mechanical voice, informing me that “due to the technician’s entirely normal absence, I would be required to perform maintenance work today,” could break the persistent fog behind my eyes. Today had been rough.

I absently toyed with the blade that I carried constantly in my jacket pocket. It was for my own protection, walking to and from this place in the middle of the night. After all, you never know who might be prowling the streets so late. Yeah. That’s a good reason.

With a muffled bang, the elevator settled at the taped-off entrance to my workplace. The bright, red, and obvious button was pressed, the doors swished apart, and I crawled into the entryway vent. Cold air rushed over my skin, covered by a jacket and jeans after realizing just how absolutely freezing it was on my first day down here. My only assumption was that the cold was necessary to maintain a safe temperature for the animatronics, but I didn’t exactly think this temperature was safe for humans.

Thankfully, the cold was less extreme once I emerged in the Primary Control Module. As I went about my usual tasks, my mind wandered to what HandUnit could have meant concerning the so-called “maintenance work.” I would have questioned the absent mechanic as well, but quite frankly didn’t care enough. My lips, drawn downward now that I was alone, pouted in thought. Would I be working with some sort of broken system in the building? Or… I focused on Funtime Foxy, lit by a flickering spotlight. No, that was ridiculous. They wouldn’t have some girl who’d been here little more than a week attempt to repair one of the animatronics. Absolutely ridiculous.

“You’ve completed your daily tasks. Great job! Now, due to unforeseen malfunctions from today’s shows, your nightly duties will require you to perform maintenance that you may or may not be skilled enough to perform. It became necessary for technicians to attempt to disconnect Funtime Freddy’s power module. However, they were unsuccessful. Allowing them to try again would be an inefficient path forward, as we would need to allow six to eight weeks for recovery and physical therapy. You will need to reach the Parts and Service room on the other side of Funtime Auditorium to perform the procedure yourself. Let’s get to work!”

Ridiculous.

I glanced through the auditorium window, squinting at the darkness in a failed attempt to make out something, anything. How the hell was I even supposed to find my way through there? Surely they should have given me a li-

My eyes landed on a strange, camera-like contraption in front of the Funtime Auditorium maintenance vent. Upon closer inspection, it did not have a lens at all, but rather a large light bulb in its place. I picked up the device and rotated it in my hands, looking for some sort of clue as to how it operated. Logic said to press the small button on top that would typically be used to take a picture. Pointing the light bulb carefully away from my face, I did just that and was rewarded with a bright flash and snapping sound. A high-pitched whine followed, which almost made me plug my ears and thereby drop the device.

Getting down on all fours with the camera…thing in hand, I made my way through the short vent between Funtime Auditorium and the Primary Control Module. Needless to say, it was more than a little unsettling to emerge into blackness so complete that I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face. It became even more unsettling when HandUnit broke the somewhat frightening silence with,

“Funtime Foxy is motion-activated. For this reason, it’s important to keep the room dark, as to not accidentally activate her. You have been provided with a flash beacon. Use it if you need to get your bearings and to ensure you don’t bump into anything. However, use it as sparingly as possible. Proceed forward to reach the Parts and Service room.”

A flash beacon. That’s what it was called. But the small revelation was lost among the fear creeping into my mind, forcing me to unconsciously hold the flash beacon close like some sort of teddy bear. Okay…inhale…exhale… I could do this. It was just the dark. And…a motion-activated animatronic with incredibly sharp teeth and an unknown agenda. Nothing to be afraid of.

Flash. Wait. Listen… Nothing? Nothing. Move…

Stop! Stop… Listen…

Flash. Wait. Listen… Move-

Don’t move!

Just stay calm… Inhale…exhale…

Flash. Wait. Listen… Nothing? Nothing. Move…

My hand closed around a doorknob. In a flash(hah!), I had yanked open the door, jumped behind it, and slammed it closed with my back against the cool metal, flash beacon still clutched in my arms. I hung my head in relief, my unsteady breathing echoing within the Parts and Service Room. The Parts and Service Room. I instantly halted all movement. That meant… Lifting my head, I focused my gaze on none other than-

Wow. He was a lot taller up close.

Funtime Freddy sat in front of me, motionless and silent apart from a faint beeping noise. The classic top hat, gleaming microphone, even his Bon-Bon hand puppet; it was surreal seeing him this close. Placing the flash beacon next to the door, I walked even closer, my eyes tracking the edges of his face plates to their neat connection points around his head. I’d seen the character on posters and when I had previously checked Funtime Auditorium, but with this direct of a view, it became impossible to deny the animatronic’s incredible workmanship. And now…I was apparently supposed to fix it.

“Great job reaching Parts and Service!” I jumped at HandUnit’s sudden praise. “It seems that Funtime Freddy is-s-s-”

I furrowed my eyebrows as HandUnit abruptly emitted a loud sound of static before cutting off completely. That couldn’t be good. I glanced up at Funtime Freddy, then back to HandUnit, then Freddy, then HandUnit. How the hell was I supposed to do this maintenance now?

Hesitantly, I approached Funtime Freddy, looking for some sort of object that resembled a “power module.” But despite hopping over the conveyor belt he sat upon to examine him further, I couldn’t find anything without somehow lifting the white and mauve plates of his body; and I did not want to risk that without instruction. What was I going to do?

A familiar darkness began to seep throughout my mind. It covered every corner, blurred every thought. What was I going to do? Nothing. I couldn’t do anything. Nothing would be right, but nothing would be wrong. The shadows within my mind trickled down into my chest, burning away any lingering fear like acid and leaving a cold, corroded pit from which no emotion could emerge. And I do apologize for sounding poetic, but depression is a difficult thing to explain. See? I did something wrong again. My fault. This was my fault.

I sank down beside Funtime Freddy on the conveyor belt, digging within my jacket pocket for- there it was. Just once, one time today. Just to make the pain go away, to let the darkness bleed out, to prove that I am still alive. There’s more than one reason I wear a jacket to work. Once, no more today. Cross my heart, cross my fingers.

I lowered the knife to my forearm.


	2. Chapter 2

Previously on Laughter Is Our Best Medicine:

I sank down beside Funtime Freddy on the conveyor belt, digging within my jacket pocket for- there it was. Just once, one time today. Just to make the pain go away, to let the darkness bleed out, to prove that I am still alive. There’s more than one reason I wear a jacket to work. Once, no more today. Cross my heart, cross my fingers.

I lowered the knife to my forearm.

And now, back to your regularly-scheduled fanfiction:

Crushed, my arm was being crushed, held, in a hand that wasn’t my own, connected to an arm that wasn’t my own, connected to-

A choked, terrified noise escaped me. Funtime Freddy. Funtime Freddy had grabbed my arm, had stopped me, had- He wasn’t looking at me. But his eyes were glowing, the blue brilliant against the inner light from his eyes. I stared, fascinated and scared out of my mind. Somewhere underneath, the shadows still ate away at me, but this was…

His hand moved. Loosened its grip, moved to my hand. The hand holding my knife. Grabbed my knife, threw it. Funtime Freddy just threw my knife somewhere into the darkness at the edges of the room. Threw my knife. At this point, I was fairly certain I was hyperventilating. Or hallucinating. Probably both.

Click click click click. The animatronic’s head rotated a full ninety degrees to look at me. To look. At. Me. Funtime Freddy’s hat moved up and down, his jaw opened, and-

“W-Well, hello the-e-ere! Are y-you enjo-oy-ying the show?”

Yes, I did scream like a child. And I am not at all ashamed. I scrambled backward away from Funtime Freddy, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst from my chest. At least that would end this nightmare. But it was not over yet; with a whir of circuitry, the Bon-Bon hand puppet’s lavender eyes illuminated. It began to enthusiastically wave its small arms. “Hi there! My name is Bon-Bon, and this is Freddy! What’s your name?”

Both animatronics stared directly into my eyes, waiting for an answer. Unfortunately, I was a bit too busy having a panic attack to respond properly. It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw recognition within Bon-Bon’s gaze, as he quickly chimed in with, “Oh, I think you scared her, silly! Ha ha!”

“Di-Did I? I’m sorry!” With jolting movements, Freddy raised his hand to his chin as if deep in thought. “But how-ow can I make you feel be-better?”

“I’d like my knife back.”

I froze the instant the words left my mouth. Silence blanketed the room. Why, why had I said that? I knew what his reaction to the weapon had been, so why had I asked for it back? My breath caught in my throat as, for a split second, Funtime Freddy’s eyes flickered red before returning to their usual blue. But before he could respond properly, Bon-Bon piped up, “Sorry, but bad things like those are against the rules at this party! Right, Freddy?”

Something shifted within Freddy’s eyes, like the sun emerging from behind a storm cloud. “Y-Yep!” he agreed, turning to look at Bon-Bon. I exhaled slowly.

With multiple creaks and clicks, Funtime Freddy rose from his seat upon the conveyor belt and began to shuffle back and forth, almost as if he were pacing. It was strangely human. “N-Now, what c-can we do to ma-make her feel better? Hmm…”

“Oh! I know!” Bon-Bon chimed, interrupting Freddy’s musing. With tiny paws, he gestured for Freddy to lean towards him as Bon-Bon whispered something into his ear. I watched the exchange with nervous fascination. If this was a part of their programming, then Afton Robotics had truly outdone itself. If not…well, I didn’t quite know what to think.

Abruptly, Funtime Freddy straightened. “That’s a gr-gr-great idea, B-Bon-Bon!” I flinched as he leaned down towards me, his jaw hanging open in the semblance of a grin. At my movement, his eyes briefly flashed red before returning to blue. I feared for my life. And then, he spoke:

“K-knock knock!”

Before I could even begin to process the statement, my response had flown from my mouth like a reflex, “Who’s there?”

“Eggs!”

I hesitated. “…Eggs who?”

“Eggs-ited to m-meet you!”

My uncontrollable derisive groan echoed around the Parts and Service Room. Deciding, fuck it, I even face-palmed. Well, at least Freddy had succeeded in overriding my fear.

Bon-Bon started to giggle madly. “I don’t think she liked that one, Freddy.”

“She di-didn’t?” If it were possible for animatronics to frown, Funtime Freddy most definitely did. “I g-guess I’ll have to try-y harder, then! K-knock knock!”

More afraid of another bad joke than the robot delivering it, I responded, “Who’s there?”

“Bu-butter!”

“Butter who?”

“Butter n-not tell you!”

I could do nothing but stare. And try to prevent the smile twitching at the corners of my lips from breaking out. “You uh, sure do have a lot of food jokes.”

“Y-yep!” Funtime Freddy suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, which somehow only heightened my amusement. “W-want to he-ea-ar some more?”

At his enthusiasm, a slow smile finally spread across my face. He…he wanted to help. Me. Turning my mind away from the lurking darkness, I nodded an affirmative. He wanted to help. And, for once in my life, I would let someone help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I originally put two chapters instead of three for the total, but I got a bit carried away. My apologies.


	3. Chapter 3

Previously on Laughter Is Our Best Medicine:

Funtime Freddy suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, which somehow only heightened my amusement. “W-want to he-ea-ar some more?”

At his enthusiasm, a slow smile finally spread across my face. He…he wanted to help. Me. Turning my mind away from the lurking darkness, I nodded an affirmative. He wanted to help. And, for once in my life, I would let someone help.

And now, back to your regularly-scheduled fanfiction:

I’m not quite sure how much time passed while I was sitting with Funtime Freddy. I only knew that since listening to the animatronic’s jokes and stories, I had become happier than I had been in a very long time. Of course, it couldn’t last.

With a startling blare of static, the forgotten HandUnit began to speak, its voice ringing through the Parts and Service Room. “It seems you are taking a long time. Please proceed with disconnecting Funtime Freddy’s power module.”

The silence that followed was even more jarring than HandUnit’s reactivation. Right. That was what I’d been sent there to do. Power the animatronics down. I…I had to do that. It was my job. Then why did I feel so reluctant?

“Um…I’m sorry, but I need to get your power modules,” I said. “If I don’t, I’ll get fired. And then I may not be able to see you guys again.”

“Do you really have to?” Bon-Bon pawed at my hand sadly. He had detached himself from Freddy a while ago in order to cuddle with me(although a plastic robot is a tad difficult to cuddle with, but we managed). Now I removed Bon-Bon from my lap gently, placing him back onto Funtime Freddy’s arm with a click.

“Yeah,” I responded, “but once I do, I’ll be back tomorrow. Will you be back on by then?”

“M-maybe.” It could have been my imagination, but Funtime Freddy seemed slightly…drained. “B-Bon-Bon’s power module is in the button-on beneath his-s bow t-tie. J-just press it, and-and he’ll turn o-off.” Yep, definitely drained. Not a single exclamation point. Maybe it was a good thing to power them off after all.

I followed Freddy’s instructions, albeit unhappily. A final “Bye-bye!” from Bon-Bon, and his lavender eyes dimmed, his head drooping down to settle against his chest.

Funtime Freddy’s deactivation was a bit more complex. He guided me through pressing the small buttons on his face plates, warning me just before his entire face split apart like a puzzle box. With the press of another small button on the underside of his jaw, Freddy’s chest plate slid open, revealing a blinking chip nestled among multiple wires. I stared in awe at the circuitry.

“Hey, k-knock knock!”

I looked up from my admiring. “Who’s there?”

“Aldo.”

I raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t a food joke, for once. “Aldo who?”

Freddy seemed to hesitate for a split second. Then, “Aldo anything-ing for you.”

Part of the programming, part of the programming, I told myself. But I just couldn’t stop the blush rising in my cheeks, or the smile quirking my lips upwards. “Uh…thank you.” Well then. Palm, meet face.

Despite my incredibly articulate response, Freddy straightened up, seeming proud of himself. “N-no problem!” But the enthusiasm fueling him seemed to fade as quickly as it had come. “Y-you should take my-y power mo-module now.” He settled into what could only be described as a slouch. “I d-don’t want you t-to get fired.”

“Oh.” I paused. Should I just…pull out the chip? That seemed a bit unsafe(for both the animatronic and myself), but also the only viable option. The only option… What was I doing? I was going to deactivate, leave behind, the one pers- the one presence that ever made me truly happy. That ever cared whether or not I hurt myself. That ever… No. I couldn’t do this. It wouldn’t be right.

Sensing my hesitation, Funtime Freddy leaned towards me, face and chest plates linking back together with a snap. “H-hey.” He reached out, placing an oversized paw on my shoulder. “It’s okay-ay. I-I’ll be fine! The te-technicians-s do it all-ll the time!”

“It’s not just that,” I said, “I’m worried…about leaving you behind. After all you did for me, making me…happy…” A weak smirk pulled at one corner of my mouth. “And now I’m just gonna deactivate you and go. What kind of repayment is that?”

There was silence for a moment. Freddy was unmoving; honestly, what had I expected? He was a robot, definitely not programmed to deal with some depressed employee. In fact, I was surprised that he had managed to carry on this far without shutting down or malfunctioning. That was why he was in Parts and Service after all, I assumed. Nothing more than an animatronic. An animatronic that I should not care so much about. Nothing more.

But then, Funtime Freddy did something so shockingly human that my thoughts froze completely: he stood from the conveyor belt(dwarfing me in size) and hugged me.

I stiffened, suddenly hyper-aware of every sound, every smell, every detail of the animatronic nearly crushing me in an embrace. “What…why are you- ”

“I d-don’t like seeing-ing you sad. I-I want t-to make it bet-better.” Freddy relaxed his arms, holding me a bit more gently. “If y-you want to see me-e again, then-en I promise I’ll tr-try to find you, wh-wherever you are.” Blue eyes made contact with my own. “I-I’ll try to ma-make you happy.”

With that, Funtime Freddy settled back onto the conveyor, reopening the plates of his face and chest(on his own…which now that I think about it, was slightly odd) to reveal the little chip once again.

“G-go ahead. Take it,” he said.

Before I could lose my resolve, or worse - begin to cry, I removed the power module. Freddy’s eyes dimmed instantly. A hollow feeling settled within me, and I found that I couldn’t bear to look into those eyes any longer. I turned and fled, remembering at the last second to scoop up the flash beacon before rushing headlong towards the exit. I certainly didn’t remember my knife.

Just before closing the door, I hesitated. My gaze fell on Funtime Freddy. The animatronic. The robot. The metal thing that could not possibly feel. The one who helped me when no one else would.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

The door swung shut behind me, plunging the Parts and Service Room(and its occupants) into darkness.

 

Blue eyes glowed among the shadows.

“Yo-ou’re welcome, (Y/N).”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't get to take quite as much time on this chapter as I would have wanted. But hey, at least it's finished. Thanks for reading.


End file.
